UK ETA for Icelandic Citizens

Do Icelandic Citizens Need a UK ETA?

The requirement is a condition of the trip, not of the airline or the route. It attaches to the traveller and to the passport used in the application. A flight from Keflavík, a connection in another European city, or a journey by train and road through the Continent all lead to the same question: which passport is being carried, and does an exemption apply to that person?

The application window for this group opened on 5 March 2025. Anyone travelling after 2 April 2025 needs to have the approval in place before they board, and must wait for the confirmation email before setting off. The approval is only a permission to travel; it does not guarantee admission, which is decided at the UK border on arrival.

Iceland, the EEA, EFTA and the EU

Iceland is not a member of the European Union. It belongs to two other arrangements instead: the European Economic Area (EEA), which brings Iceland into the EU single market while staying outside the EU itself, and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). Iceland also takes part in the Schengen Area.

These distinctions matter because many travellers assume that any European arrangement carries over to the UK. It does not. The UK ETA is set by UK Immigration Rules, and the list of nationalities that need one is the UK’s own list. Iceland is named on that list in the group that starts on 2 April 2025, alongside EU member states and other EEA and Swiss nationalities. Being in that group is the reason for the ETA; belonging to the EEA is not a reason for an exemption.

For planning purposes, treat Iceland as a European country that is not in the EU, whose citizens are placed in the same UK group as EU nationals on the National List. Check the list and the dates yourself, because they can change.

Who Needs a UK ETA

The approval is normally needed by an Icelandic citizen who travels to the UK as a Visitor for up to six months, or who transits the UK through border control, on a passport issued by Iceland. Typical examples include a holiday, a visit to relatives, a business meeting, a short course, or a connection that passes through UK border control before the onward flight.

The ETA also applies to the UK’s Crown Dependencies in the sense that it can cover travel to Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man for the same six-month period, as explained in the section on the islands below.

Who Does Not Need a UK ETA

The following groups do not need an ETA to travel to the UK, according to the published exemptions:

• British and Irish citizens, who travel on their British or Irish passport.
• Anyone with a valid UK visa for the trip.
• Anyone with permission to live, work or study in the UK, including settled or pre-settled status and the right of abode.
• A person with permission to live, work or study in Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man.
• A British Overseas Territories citizen travelling on a British Overseas Territories passport, and a British National (Overseas) passport holder.
• An ETA-eligible traveller who transits through a UK airport without passing through border control, subject to the current airside rule.
• A person lawfully resident in the Republic of Ireland who travels to the UK from elsewhere in the Common Travel Area, under ETA 1.3.
• A person who is exempt from immigration control or does not need permission to enter.

An exemption is personal. A friend who is British, or a partner with a UK visa, does not remove the requirement for you. Confirm the exemption that applies to you before paying for travel, and keep the evidence for it with your documents.

Icelandic Passports and the ETA

The application must be made with a national passport that establishes your identity and nationality, as a national of Iceland, and the approval is then tied to that passport. The ETA is valid only for the passport named in the application. If you travel on a different passport, even one you also hold, the approval does not cover the trip.

Passport validity

Icelandic passports are issued through the District Commissioners and are valid for ten years from the date of application for adults. Children under 18 receive passports valid for five years. The Icelandic authorities also advise checking the validity requirements of any country you visit, since some destinations ask for a period beyond the date you leave.

For the UK ETA, what matters is the expiry date printed in the passport you will travel on. An ETA cannot outlast that passport. If you have renewed or are about to renew, the new passport needs its own application unless the older approval still covers you, so check the number and the expiry on the approval before you travel.

Photographs and the biometric page

The face image submitted with the application must meet the UK photo rules. A new passport usually comes with a new photograph, so an image taken for an earlier passport may not be suitable. Use a clear, recent photograph of your face and keep the passport’s data page in view while you enter the details.

Why an Icelandic Identity Card Is Not Enough

An Icelandic identity card serves an important purpose in daily life, and the District Commissioners accept identity cards and driving licences as proof of identity at a passport photo appointment. Those uses are domestic. For a UK ETA, the requirement is a national passport, and an identity card does not satisfy it.

The practical rule is simple. Use the passport that is linked to the approval for the whole trip, and carry the identity card only as a personal record. If you do not have a valid passport, you cannot complete the ETA application, so check your passport’s expiry well before the trip.

How to Apply for a UK ETA as an Icelandic Citizen

The application can be completed in the UK ETA mobile app or online. In the app, you scan the passport photo page and take a photo of your face using your phone’s camera. Online, you upload a photo of the passport and a photo of the face of the person applying, following the photo rules.

You will need a valid email address, a payment card or a supported digital wallet, and the passport you intend to travel on. The application requires a fee, which is paid as part of the process. Apply only through the official route, and avoid websites that imitate government services or claim a faster decision. Applying through another site or app does not speed up a decision.

What happens after you apply

A decision usually comes by email within a day, but it can take up to three working days. The email contains a 16-digit ETA reference number. Wait for that email before you travel. If nothing arrives after three working days, check your spam or junk folder before you contact UK Visas and Immigration.

Decisions can arrive at different times for people applied for together, so check each approval separately. Once you have applied, the fee is not refunded, even if the application is refused or the details turn out to be wrong.

What You Need to Enter

Before you start, gather the information exactly as it appears on your Icelandic passport:

• Your full name, spelled as on the biodata page, including any middle names.
• The passport number, issue date and expiry date.
• Your date of birth, place of birth and nationality as printed in the passport.
• A valid email address that the Home Office can use to contact you.
• A photo of the passport’s data page and a face photo that meets the photo rules.
• Your travel dates and any details the application asks for about your trip.

Small differences matter. If the name on the application does not match the passport, the approval may be delayed, rejected, or later cancelled. Check each letter before you submit, and make sure you use the passport you will physically carry to the border.

How Long the UK ETA Lasts

An ETA lasts for two years from the date it is granted, or until the passport used in the application expires, whichever comes first. If your passport expires in six months, the ETA ends in six months, even though the approval was given for longer.

Because the approval belongs to a passport, a new passport is not covered automatically. A replacement booklet must be checked against the approval, and in most cases a fresh application is the safest course. Keep your ETA reference number and check the expiry date of the approval against the passport you travel on.

Multiple Journeys and Length of Stay

While an ETA is valid, you can make as many trips to the UK as you need, without applying again for each one. Each arrival is still a fresh decision made at the border, and each visit is a Visitor stay of up to six months.

The six-month limit applies to each occasion, not to the year as a whole. Plan the length of each trip, and keep records of your exit and entry dates. A trip that is planned as a long stay, or that begins to look like a move, falls outside the Visitor rules and needs a different route.

Children and Family Applications

Every traveller needs an ETA where the requirement applies. That includes babies and children. The approval is connected to the child’s own passport, so a child cannot travel on a parent’s approval, and a parent cannot travel on a child’s.

A parent or guardian can apply for a child. If the child is with you, the application can be made through the app. If the child is not with you, the application must be completed online, using a photo of the child’s passport and a photo of the child’s face. The decision is made separately for each person, so a family may receive approvals at different times.

Icelandic passports for children under 18 are valid for five years. An ETA linked to such a passport ends when the passport expires, which can be much sooner than the two-year limit. Check the child’s expiry date before you book, especially if a passport was issued recently for a younger child.

Children and the Irish-residence exemption

The Irish-residence exemption in ETA 1.3 applies to an applicant who is lawfully resident in Ireland. Children aged 16 and 17 who rely on it may need to show evidence of residence if required. Children under 16 are not normally asked for that evidence, but they or an accompanying adult may still be questioned. Do not assume a child is exempt simply because a parent is resident in Ireland.

Icelandic Dual Nationals

The position depends on your other nationality. If you hold British or Irish citizenship as well as Icelandic, you cannot get an ETA. When you travel to the UK, you prove your citizenship with a valid British passport, another valid passport with a certificate of entitlement that shows your right of abode in the UK, or a valid Irish passport.

If your other nationality is one that needs an ETA, or that needs a visa, the rules apply to the passport you choose to travel on. An approval applied for on an Icelandic passport covers only that passport. Decide which passport you will carry before you apply, and do not mix documents at the border. Your eligibility for the other passport is a separate question.

Iceland, Ireland and the Common Travel Area

The Common Travel Area, usually shortened to the CTA, links the UK, the Republic of Ireland, the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey for travel purposes. The CTA is the reason why there are no routine immigration checks on many journeys within it, but it does not remove the ETA requirement for an Icelandic citizen travelling to the UK from outside the CTA.

The Irish-residence exemption

ETA 1.3 of the Immigration Rules says that an applicant who is lawfully resident in the Republic of Ireland, and who is travelling to the UK from elsewhere in the Common Travel Area, does not need to obtain an ETA. ETA 1.4 explains that a person is lawfully resident if they are resident in Ireland and entitled to reside there under the relevant rules, and not if they cannot leave Ireland without an Irish minister’s consent.

The exemption does not apply to travel to the UK from outside the Common Travel Area, even for someone who is lawfully resident in Ireland. The caseworker guidance states this directly, so an Icelandic citizen who flies to the UK from another European country needs to check the ordinary ETA position.

Evidence of residence

A person aged 16 or over who relies on the exemption may be asked to prove lawful residence. The Home Office caseworker guidance lists documents that can be accepted, including the Permanent Residence Certificate, which the guidance describes as available to nationals of the European Economic Area resident in Ireland aged 16 and over. Keep the original document with you and check that it is valid.

Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man

Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man are self-governing Crown Dependencies. They are not part of the United Kingdom, but they belong to the Common Travel Area. For an Icelandic citizen, the practical point is that an ETA can cover travel to all three islands, for up to six months, alongside travel to the UK.

Each island sets its own arrival arrangements, and those arrangements can differ from the UK’s. Before you travel to an island, check its current entry requirements rather than assuming that the UK rules describe the position there. An ETA covers travel to the islands, but it does not replace the arrival arrangements that each island applies when you get there.

The published guidance also lists Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man as departure points for the Irish-residence exemption, for a person who lives in Ireland and is travelling from one of them. Keep your residence evidence available if you rely on it, and check the departure point that applies to your trip.

Airside and Landside Transit

The distinction between airside and landside transit is the one most often misunderstood. Airside transit means you move between two flights without passing through UK border control. Landside transit means you pass through UK border control before you continue your journey, even if you leave the airport briefly and then return.

At present, an ETA-eligible traveller who transits a UK airport airside, without passing through border control, does not need an ETA for that transit. A traveller who is passing through border control, landside, generally needs an ETA before departure unless an exemption applies. The current official guidance describes both positions, and the arrangement for airside transit is not presented as permanent. Check the current official guidance and ask your airline before you book a connection.

A direct flight from Keflavík to a UK airport involves no transit at all. If a journey involves a connection, identify which airport you will change at, and whether your route passes through UK border control. A connection in a UK airport on the way to a third country is the case that most often leads to surprises.

Tourism and Family Visits

A holiday, a city break, a visit to friends or relatives, and a short recreational course are covered by the Visitor rules. An Icelandic citizen on an ETA can stay for up to six months on each visit, provided the stay is genuinely for these purposes and the other Visitor requirements are met.

Recreational courses are limited to a maximum of 30 days, and English-language training is not one of the permitted recreational courses. Educational exchanges or visits with a state-funded or independent school are also permitted within the Visitor rules.

If you plan to visit family for a long period, or to settle with them, the situation changes. Long family stays that look like residence fall outside the Visitor rules, and the right route is a different permission.

Business Visitor Activities

Visitors on an ETA can take part in a range of business activities. The Visitor rules allow attendance at meetings, conferences, seminars, interviews, workshops and debates. They also allow a short series of talks or speeches that are not organised as commercial events, the signing of deals and contracts, attendance at trade fairs for promotional work, site visits and inspections, and briefings on the requirements of a UK customer.

Some limits are equally important. Trade-fair attendance is for promotion only, and the visitor must not sell directly there. Work for a UK customer must be carried out outside the UK. Activities connected with your employment overseas may be carried out remotely from within the UK, but only where that is not the main purpose of the visit.

Volunteering is also permitted for up to 30 days in total, and only for a registered charity. A business trip cannot become a job. Paid work for a UK employer, or a role that fills a post in the UK, needs a different route.

Short-Term Study

A Visitor may study in the UK for up to six months, provided the requirements of the Visitor rules for study are met. Study is not a work permission, and the stay must end within the six-month period.

A longer course, or any course that leads to a long stay, requires a different permission. Students who expect to stay beyond six months, or who plan to combine study with part-time work, should check the route before applying. An ETA is not a student visa.

Permitted Paid Engagements

Some paid engagements are permitted for a Visitor on an ETA. The Visitor rules allow them only where they are completed within 30 days of entry to the UK, and only where the specific requirements of the permitted paid engagement rules are met. A paid engagement that runs longer, or that is not covered by those rules, is outside the Visitor route.

Because the requirements are specific, do not assume that every paid appearance or short job is permitted. Check the exact activity against the rule before you accept payment, and keep a record of the engagement and its dates.

The Creative Worker Route

The Immigration Rules include a separate Creative Worker route. Under ETA 1.1(f)(ii), an applicant may apply where they are seeking entry as a Creative Worker under the Temporary Work rules, and ETA 4.2(b) allows multiple journeys for that purpose. Separately, the Visitor rules permit some creative activity, such as performances, rehearsals and auditions for an artist, entertainer or musician, but that is a narrower permission than the Creative Worker route.

The Creative Worker concession is a specialised route. If your trip involves creative work for payment, read the separate creative worker guide on this site before you apply.

ETA or Standard Visitor Visa

Most visitors need either an ETA or a visa. Which one depends on your nationality and on the purpose of your visit. An Icelandic citizen visiting for a Visitor purpose on an Icelandic passport normally needs an ETA, not a visa. A visa is needed where the purpose, the length of stay or the circumstances fall outside what the ETA covers.

If an ETA is not the right route, a Standard Visitor visa or another visa may be required. Check the position for your situation before paying for travel, and do not rely on an ETA to cover work, long study, or residence.

UK Rules and Schengen Rules

Icelandic citizens are familiar with the Schengen Area, where Iceland participates. The UK is not part of Schengen, and its rules are separate. A stay in the Schengen Area does not give permission to enter the UK, and a UK ETA does not give any right to travel in the Schengen Area.

Each country sets its own entry conditions, documents and length-of-stay limits. The Icelandic arrangements that let you travel freely within the Nordic countries do not extend to the UK, and the UK ETA is not a Nordic or Schengen document. Plan the UK leg of a multi-country trip as a separate journey.

Criminality and Other Refusal Grounds

The Immigration Rules set out grounds on which an application must be refused. Two criminality rules are central. ETA 2.2(a) applies where an applicant has been convicted of a criminal offence in the UK or overseas and received a custodial or suspended sentence of 12 months or more. ETA 2.2(b) applies to any criminal conviction in the UK or overseas, whatever the sentence, unless more than 12 months have passed since the date of conviction.

These are separate rules. A sentence of 12 months or more is a refusal ground in its own right, and a recent conviction can be a refusal ground even when the sentence was short or was a fine. Read both rules before you apply, and do not assume that a conviction is irrelevant because it was not a prison sentence.

Other grounds include non-conducive grounds under ETA 2.3, certain earlier immigration breaches under ETA 2.4 (including overstaying after the age of 18 in the circumstances the rules describe), false representations or non-disclosure of relevant facts under ETA 2.5, an earlier ETA cancelled under ETA 2.8, and a previous refusal as a Visitor under ETA 2.9. The rules also contain exceptions to several of these grounds, so read the rule before drawing a conclusion.

This guide does not predict how an application will be decided. If any of these grounds may apply to you, check the detail carefully and get advice before you submit an application.

Application Mistakes to Avoid

• Applying on an Icelandic identity card instead of the passport you will travel on.
• Applying on an old passport and then travelling on a new one.
• Entering a child’s details using a parent’s passport, or the other way round.
• Assuming that EEA membership, Nordic travel or a Schengen stay gives a UK exemption.
• Booking travel before the confirmation email arrives.
• Treating an airside connection as landside, or the reverse, without checking the current rule.
• Using a website that imitates a government service or promises a faster decision.
• Forgetting that the ETA ends when the passport expires, even if the approval runs for longer.

Before You Travel from Iceland

Use this checklist in the weeks before departure:

• Confirm the passport you will carry, and check its expiry date against the approval.
• Keep the ETA reference number and the confirmation email with your travel documents.
• Confirm whether any connection is airside or landside, and whether your route passes through UK border control.
• Check the entry requirements for any island you plan to visit.
• If you rely on the Irish-residence exemption, carry the original evidence of residence.
• For children, carry the passport for each child and check the expiry dates.
• Keep a record of the purpose of the trip and the activities you plan to undertake.

An ETA is not a guarantee of entry. The officer at the UK border decides whether you are admitted, and may ask about the purpose and length of your visit.

UK ETA FAQs for Icelandic Citizens

Want more answers? Browse our UK ETA FAQs or contact us. You can also go back to the eligibility checker.